Specialty Food Magazine is the leading publication for retailers, manufacturers and foodservice professionals in the specialty food trade. It provides news, trends and business-building insights that help readers keep their businesses competitive.
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SHARING MEALS, MAKING MEMORIES quality weather. The wine shop offers about 800 SKUs. "We choose wine by virtue of the traditions of a region or grape, going for balance rather than power, beauty rather than size," Roach says. He enjoys working with customers' specific wine needs, such as creating pairings for a dinner-party menu, and introducing shoppers to new wines. "Why keep drinking the same wine, when there are wines that are completely different of great quality?" he says. "I like introducing our customers to new options. We have great customers who have traveled and who are open to it." Remodeling Plans A renovation under way at press time exemplifies Griskowitz and Hamilton's commitment to improving their market. Hamilton, an adjunct professor at Skidmore College, teaches Introduction to Business, a sideline that keeps her thinking strategically. "When we finish the remodeling, the whole store will have a new feel. It's time to give customers another reason to come here," she says. The goals of the renovation include reconfiguring the foot- prints and flow of the two adjacent stores and giving them a new look. The sisters aim to reorganize the shops for better productivity and customer service by creating a hub from which the employees will serve customers and opening up lines of sight. As part of the reconstruction, the wine shop will gain greater visibility, in part through a glass wall Hamilton designed separating it from the prepared foods area. Similarly, the shop's already impres- sive cheese selection—honed from years of working with local, regional and international producers and listening to customer feedback—will be displayed in a new glass-walled, walk-in refriger- ated cheese room, inspired by Hamilton's visits to shops in London. Customers will walk into the room where cheese will be displayed on glass shelves and will be served by a staff member. Expanded Presence Putnam Market has extended beyond the storefront. Two years ago, the market set up a stand at the Saratoga Race Course during racing season. "We try to offer a fresh, healthy alternative. Most of the food there is deep-fried. What we serve has fresh, whole ingredients," Griskowitz explains. The stand, located on the track's restaurant row, offers lobster rolls, shrimp salad, chicken salad and baked goods. "We try to make everything special," she adds. "We often say, why wouldn't you eat good food? Life is short and great food just tastes better," Hamilton says of the philosophy behind the market and its many components. "What I love about being in the food business is that it's so elemental. You're talking about what people put in their mouths, what they eat, what they serve their families and friends." |SFM| Robyn Pforr Ryan is a freelance writer whose work has appeared in Redbook and Brainchild. MAY/JUNE 2012 53 For more information about our full gourmet product line, call 816-861-0400 or visit www.laurieskitchen.com Summer Fancy Food Show Booth #5967 LAURIE'S KITCHEN a division of Old World Spices & Seasonings, Inc. Summer Fancy Food Show Booth 5967